Jalpaiguri district
|SexRatio = |Tehsils = |LokSabha = Alipurduars, Jalpaiguri |Assembly = Kumargram, Kalchini, Alipurduars, Falakata, Madarihat, Nagrakata, Dhupguri, Maynaguri, Mal, Dabgram-Phulbari, Jalpaiguri, Rajganj |Highways = NH 31, NH 31A, NH 31C, NH 31D |Website = http://www.jalpaiguri.gov.in/ }} Jalpaiguri district ( ) is the largest district of North Bengal, covering an area 6,245 km2. It is situated between 26° 16' and 27° 0' North latitudes and 88° 4' and 89° 53' East longitudes. The district was established in 1869. The headquarters of the district are at Jalpaiguri town, which is also the divisional headquarter of north Bengal and has its special importance in respect of tourism, forest, hills, tea gardens, scenic beauty and a wide variety of tribes like the Totos, etc. Etymology The name Jalpaiguri came from the Bengali word jalpai meaning "olive" because of the olives which grew in the town and were seen even in 1900. The suffix guri means a place. The name can also be associated with Jalpesh, the presiding deity (Shiva) of the entire region. History Jalapaiguri is one part of the ancient Koch Rajbongshi Kingdom, i.e., Kamatapur. Geography Presently Jalpaiguri is the part of West Bengal which is situated in North Bengal. The district situated in the northern part of West Bengal has international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh in the north and south respectively and district borders with Assam and the Darjeeling hills in the east, west and northwest. Climate The average annual rainfall is 3160 mm and the average temperature ranges from 30.9 to 10.8 degrees throughout the year. The average relative humidity is about 82%. Topography The entire topography is crisscrossed with rivulets, rivers and hills. Jalpaiguri - this narrow stretch of land lying between the Sikkim - Darjeeling Himalayas and Gangetic West Bengal has more than often evoked a sense of both eerie and romanticism in many a heart since the early British Rule. Veined by mighty rivers like the Teesta, Torsa, Jaldhaka, Raidak, Dyna, Neora, Sankosh etc. this piece of land has been aptly named as the land of 'Tea, Timber and Tourism'. A major stretch of area is bordered in the north by Bhutan and hence the name - Dooars/Duars which mean - Door of Bhutan. Economy In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Jalpaiguri one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the eleven districts in West Bengal currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). Divisions Administrative subdivisions The district comprises three subdivisions: Jalpaiguri Sadar, Malbazar and Alipurduar. Jalpaiguri Sadar consists of Jalpaiguri and Rajganj municipalities and Jalpaiguri Sadar, Dhupguri, Maynaguri and Rajganj community development blocks. Malbazar subdivision, also known as Mal subdivision, consists of Malbazar municipality and three community development blocks: Mal, Matiali and Nagrakata. Alipurduar subdivision consists of Alipurduar municipality and six community development blocks: Madarihat–Birpara, Alipurduar–I, Alipurduar–II, Falakata, Kalchini and Kumargram. Jalpaiguri is the district headquarters. There are 17 police stations, 13 development blocks, 4 municipalities. Each subdivision contains one municipality each along with community development blocks which in turn are divided into rural areas and census towns. Siliguri municipal corporation, which lies mainly in Darjeeling district, has 15 out of 47 wards in Jalpaiguri district. In total there are 17 urban units: 4 municipalities, 12 census towns and 146 gram panchayats in this district. Also, Alipurduar city, Alipurduar Railway Junction, Sobhaganj, Chechakhata and Paschim Jitpur are part of a urban agglomeration. Jalpaiguri Sadar subdivision * Jalpaiguri: municipality * Jalpaiguri (Community development block) consists of rural areas only with 14 gram panchayats. * Maynaguri (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 16 gram panchayats and one census town: Mainaguri. * Dhupguri (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 16 gram panchayats and two census towns: Banarhat Tea Garden and Gairkata. * Rajganj (Community development block) consists of rural areas only with 12 gram panchayats. Malbazar subdivision * Mal: municipality * Mal (Community development block) consists of rural areas only with 12 gram panchayats. * Matiali (Community development block) consists of rural areas only with 5 gram panchayats. * Nagrakata (Community development block) consists of rural areas only with 5 gram panchayats. Alipurduar subdivision * Alipurduar: municipality * Madarihat-Birpara (Community development block) consists of rural areas only with 10 gram panchayats. * Alipurduar I (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 11 gram panchayats and four census towns: Paschim Jitpur, Chechakhata, Alipurduar Railway Junction and Bholar Dabri. * Alipurduar II (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 11 gram panchayats and one census town: Sobhaganj. * Falakata (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 12 gram panchayats and one census town: Falakata. * Kalchini (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 11 gram panchayats and two census towns: Jaygaon and Uttar Latabari. * Kumargram (Community development block) consists of rural areas with 11 gram panchayats and one census town: Uttar Kamakhyaguri. Assembly constituencies The district is divided into 12 assembly constituencies: #Kumargram (ST) (assembly constituency no. 10), #Kalchini (ST) (assembly constituency no. 11), #Alipurduars (assembly constituency no. 12), #Falakata (SC) (assembly constituency no. 13), #Madarihat (ST) (assembly constituency no. 14), #Dhupguri (SC) (assembly constituency no. 15), #Nagrakata (ST) (assembly constituency no. 16), #Maynaguri (SC) (assembly constituency no. 17), #Mal (ST) (assembly constituency no. 18), #Kranti (assembly constituency no. 19), #Jalpaiguri (assembly constituency no. 20) and #Rajganj (SC) (assembly constituency no. 21). Kumargram, Kalchini, Madarihat, Nagrakata and Malbazar constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates. Falakata, Dhupguri, Mainaguri and Rajganj constituencies are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates. Along with one assembly constituency from Cooch Behar district, Kumargram, Kalchini, Alipurduar, Falakata, Madarihat and Nagrakata constituencies form the Alipurduars (Lok Sabha constituency), which is reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST). Dhupguri, Mainaguri, Malbazar, Kranti, Jalpaiguri and Rajganj constituencies form the Jalpaiguri (Lok Sabha constituency), which also contains one assembly constituency from Cooch Behar district. Impact of delimitation of constituencies As per order of the Delimitation Commission in respect of the delimitation of constituencies in the West Bengal, the district will be divided into 12 assembly constituencies: #Kumargram (ST) (assembly constituency no. 10), #Kalchini (ST) (assembly constituency no. 11), #Alipurduars (assembly constituency no. 12), #Falakata (SC) (assembly constituency no. 13), #Madarihat (ST) (assembly constituency no. 14), #Dhupguri (SC) (assembly constituency no. 15), #Maynaguri (SC) (assembly constituency no. 16), #Jalpaiguri (SC) (assembly constituency no. 17), #Rajganj (SC) (assembly constituency no. 18), #Dabgram-Phulbari (assembly constituency no. 19), #Mal (ST) (assembly constituency no. 20) and #Nagrakata (ST) (assembly constituency no. 21). Kumargram, Kalchini, Madarihat, Malbazar and Nagrakata constituencies will remain to be reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates. Falakata, Dhupguri, Mainaguri, Jalpaiguri and Rajganj constituencies will be reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates. Along with one assembly constituency from Cooch Behar district, Kumargram, Kalchini, Alipurduar, Falakata, Madarihat and Nagrakata constituencies will continue to form the Alipurduars (Lok Sabha constituency), which will be reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST). Along with one assembly constituency from Cooch Behar district, Dhupguri, Mainaguri, Jalpaiguri, Rajganj, Dabgram-Phulbari, and Malbazar constituencies will form the Jalpaiguri (Lok Sabha constituency), which will be reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC). Police stations There are 16 police stations in the district, viz.: #Alipurduar #Banarhat #Bhaktinagar #Birpara #Dhupguri #Falakata #Jaigaon #Jalpaiguri (Kotwali) #Kalchini #Kumargram #Madarihat #Malbazar #Matelli #Mainaguri #Nagrakata #Rajganj Samuktala Telephone districts There are six telephone area codes of Jalpaiguri district. They are 03561, 03562, 03563, 03564, 03565, 03566. Transport It is well connected by rail, road and air from any part of the country. One can avail train up to Jalpaiguri / Jalpaiguri Road / New Jalpaiguri Stn. By road it is well connected with rest of the country. Air travel is available up to Bagdogra (Siliguri) and from there it is well connected by a 58 km. road. Demographics According to the 2011 census Jalpaiguri district has a population of 3,869,675, roughly equal to the nation of Liberia or the US state of Oregon. This gives it a ranking of 66th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 13.77 %. Jalpaiguri has a sex ratio of 954 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 73.79 %. It is mainly inhabited by the Rajbongshi community of this area. Languages Languages include Bijori, a Munda language distantly related to Khmer and Vietnamese, spoken by about 25 000. Flora and fauna In 1992 Jalpaiguri district became home to Buxa National Park, which has an area of . It is also home to Gorumara National Park, which was established in 1994 and has an area of . Apart from the national parks, the district contains three wildlife sanctuaries: Buxa (located adjacent to its namesake national park), Chapramari, and lastly Jaldapara, which it shares with Cooch Behar district. See also * Toto tribe References External links * District Website * Jalpaiguri Mediafire Movies Category:Districts of West Bengal Category:Jalpaiguri district